Portable mop wringer and pail unit



| B GRINGER 2,023,134

PORTABLE MOP WRINGER AND PAIL UNIT Filed Oct. 24, 1934 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,023,134 PORTABLE MOP WRINGER AND PAIL UNIT Louis B. Gringer, New York, N. Y. Application October 24, 1934, Serial No. 749,702

Claims. (01. 15262) This invention relates to devices such as mop wringers, especially of the type adapted for use on portable containers such as pails.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having a plurality of rollers relatively movable toward and away from each other and means for actuating the rollers operated in a region near the floor on which the device is positioned so as not to require that the operator shall lift his foot too high to actuate the rollers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the nature set forth, which shall combine greatly increased power with superior convenience on the part of the operator in the use of the device, as well as increased stability of the device in operation, and all of these advantages being effected by a simple improved means.

A further object of the invention is the production of a device of the type mentioned having few parts, and which is inexpensive to manufacture, neat and compact in appearance, well balanced in operation, rugged, reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds. I

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a device embodying the invention in the unoperated position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device as operated to act on a mop.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 6-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line E6 of Fig. 1.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred ex- 5 emplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l0 denotes a device embodying the invention. The same may include a sheet metal container having an open top, and being preferably in the nature of a pail 10 H. Mounted thereon at the top of the pail and in communication therewith is a mop wringer 12, including a plurality of rollers l3, at least one of which is movable toward the other. Preferably, and according to this invention, both rollers are movable simultaneously and in equal degrees toward and away from each other, so as to be actuable by a simple improved mechanism l4 operative by a foot actuator or pedal l5 which is located near the bottom of the pail and has 0 a small range of movement relatively close to the floor. This range is indicated by the released position of the pedal in Fig. 1, and the operated pedal position in Fig. 2. Hence the operator need not lift his foot high to operate the pedal, as has heretofore been necessary. Further, since the force for operating the mop wringer is applied at a low point, the tendency toward tipping the pail is greatly reduced, and can be disregarded, especially when the pail is half full of water.

Referring to the invention in further detail, in the released position of the mop wringer, the rollers I? are spaced at opposite sides of the pail, andare provided with trunnions l6 which ride in slots I! of the supporting bars I 8 that have flanges I9 secured to the side wall of the pail. In this manner the rollers are mounted for rolling and for movement in a horizontal plane to- Ward and away from each other, this portion of the mop wringer being located within the pail.

The mechanism l4 includes a pair of levers 20 for actuating each roller l3. There are thus four levers, each of which may be a duplicate of the other. Desirably, each set or pair of levers is interconnected by a cross bar or brace 2|, which may be integral therewith. The bars 2i overlie the pail and are spaced above the rollers. Secured to each cross bar 2| are a pair of roller actuating brackets 22 disposed near opposite ends of the cross bar but within the pail. The brackets for the opposed rollers have their arms 23 inclined toward each other and provided with correspondingly inclined slots 24, for receiving the trunnions l6 of the rollers. Hence the main frame bars l8 are positioned between the brackets and the end faces of the rollers in a mutually guiding arrangement.

For actuation of the levers 20 at a single line, the levers are inclined downward and toward each other so as to have mutually overlapping ends on opposite sides of the pail, said ends having communicating slots 25, adapted to receive a common actuator pin 26. The pins 26 at opposite sides of the pail have a common axis.

An auxiliary one piece frame 21 is mounted on the side wall of the pail at the outside thereof, and may include a horizontal arm 28 and a vertical arm 29 both rigidly secured to the pail and conforming to the curvature thereof, but have their outer faces lying in vertical planes. The levers 20 have fixed pivots 30 mounted on the auxiliary frame, at equal distances on opposite sides of the pins 26, and each lever 20 being a lever of the first class.

A bell crank lever 3| may include an upward extending arm 32 having a hole to receive the pivot pin 26, and its extreme upper end being connected by a tension coil spring 33 with a lug 34 secured to the top of the pail. The angle of the lever 3| is pivotally connected at 35 with a link 36 pivotally mounted at 31 on the frame arm 29. If desired the levers 3| at opposite sides of the pail may be formed of a single piece of bar iron I bent to circularly extend around the pail in spaced relation thereto and having the intermediate pedal portion l5.

An anchor bracket 38 may be connected to the pail to rest on the fioor therewith so that the operator can place one foot on this bracket for additionally stabilizing the pail in course of its operation.

The manner of using the invention will now be briefly described. The operator may insert the mop into the pail through the space between the rollers 3, which are maintained automatically spaced apart as far as possible by the springs 33. These pull upward on the mechanism to move pins 23 correspondingly and to throw the levers 2B apart so that the brackets 22 actuate the rollers away from each other along the guides l8. To express the water from the mop, the operator places one foot on the anchor bracket 31 and raisesthe other foot a little to engage the pedal l5 for pressing downward thereon. This action, in general, causes a tension on the element 32, by upward reaction against the pivot 31. Thus the arm 36 may act in compression, and the lever 3| exerts the downward force which actuates the arm 32, and sets in motion the downward acting leverage of the link 36. As the latter swings downward, the leverage greatly increases and becomes a maximum when the rollers are together. The slots 25 afiord the necessary lost motion, the pin being easily centered by the balance of forces and the downward inclination of the slots as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time the springs 33 are tensioned for subsequent return of the device to unoperated position. Since the bars 2| move upward as shown in Fig. 2, the slots 24 afford accommodation to the trunnions l6, and by reason of the inclination of the brackets and slots 23, 24 toward each other, the rollers are engaged with each other while said bars are spaced apart sufficiently to permit the operator to pull the mop out of the wringer, and while maintaining the roller compression. Upon release of the pedal,

the relatively weak springs 33, acting upon the levers 20, easily return the device to its original position.

I claim:

1. A mop wringer including a plurality of rollers movable toward and away from each other, a lever connected to each roller, said levers having spaced fixed fulcrums, a bell crank lever having lost motion pivotal connection with both levers intermediate of their pivots, and a swingable link having at one end a fixed pivot and bein pivotally connected at its other end to the bell crank lever to furnish a fulcrum therefor intermediate of the ends of the bell crank lever, whereby the swinging of said bell crank lever in one or an opposite direction causes movements of the rollers toward or away from each other.

2. A mop wringer including a plurality of rollers, a pair of levers for individually actuating said rollers for movement toward and away from each other, said levers having fixed spaced pivots and having arms extending alongside each other, said arms having registering slots, an element having a pivot pin engaged in the slots, and means for actuating said element.

3. A mop wringer including a plurality of rollers, a pair of levers for individually actuating said rollers for movement toward and away from each other, said levers having fixed spaced pivots and having arms extending alongside each other, said arms having registering slots, an element having a pivot pin engaged in the slots, and means for actuating said element, said means including a spring acting on the pin to move the rollers away from each other, and a leverage means for moving the rollers toward each other.

4. A device including an open container, a mop wringer operatively mounted thereon in communication with the container, including rollers movable toward and away from each other, guides for the rollers, a pair of levers for each roller at opposite ends thereof, said levers having fixed pivots, means rigidly interconnecting the levers for each roller for movement of the levers as a unit, the levers for each roller having lost motion engagement therewith along planes that downwardly converge when the rollers are moved away from each other, and a single means for actuating all of the levers individually but ot the same time for a powerful movement of the rollers toward each other.

5. A device including an open container, a mop wringer operatively mounted thereon in communication with the container, including rollers at least one of which is movable toward and away from the other roller, generally horizontal guides for the movable roller, a lever having a fixed pivot and engaging at one end the movable roller for actuating the latter, a tension arm connected pivotally to the lever at the other end thereof and extending downward therefrom, a second arm connected to the first mentioned arm and having a fixed pivot above its connection with the first arm, and a third arm connected rigidly to one of the first and second arms, so that on swinging the third arm downward the second arm causes a downward movement of the first arm so that the movable roller is moved toward the companion roller, and a spring for actuating said lever to move the movable roller away from the other roller.

LOUIS B. GRINGER. 

